114 EXTRACTION OF A FORK FROM THE ABDOMEN OF A DOG. 
When he had thus forced it as far as he could, he introduced 
two of his fingers into the anus, and, seizing it by the handle, 
he drew it an inch out of the anus. Beyond this he could not 
bring it without cutting into the rectum and disengaging the 
fork from every thing that retained it. This operation appeared to 
be too serious, for M. Terris loved his dog, and would not expose 
him to the pain and hazard of such a process; he, therefore, gently 
returned the fork to its former situation. 
The dog was dispirited during the remainder of the day, and 
vomited nearly three pounds of blood. Every unpleasant symp- 
tom, however, disappeared after that, and the animal seemed to 
enjoy himself as usual during the next ensuing six weeks. 
In the beginning of February (three months and a half after the 
accident) the dog suddenly appeared to be ill. He was dull, and 
expressed considerable pain when the belly was pressed upon. 
These symptoms rapidly increased, and in about twelve days the 
strength of the dog was exhausted : he was worn to a skeleton. 
He evidently suffered much, and death seemed to be fast approach- 
ing. M. Terris applied to several veterinary surgeons, but they 
all declined the attempt to extract the fork, believing that it would 
of necessity be fatal. 
At length M. Nicolas Bettinger and myself saw the dog. He 
was in the following state : — Exceedingly depressed, very thin, 
lying constantly at his length in order to avoid flexing the belly, 
and slowly and with hesitation answering the commands of his 
master. The points corresponding with the situation of the fork 
being pressed upon, he evinced great pain ; the pulse was small 
and quick, and the mucous membranes pale. The fork had for 
some time occupied a situation in nearly the centre of the abdomen, 
and a direction parallel with the length of the body ; but in what 
portion of the intestinal c^nal it was contained, or whether it had 
perforated the stomach or intestines, and fallen into the cavity of 
the abdomen, we were unable to ascertain. We determined, 
however, to cut into the abdominal cavity, as the only means of 
relieving the sufferer. 
Having shaved off the hair, I made an incision on the right flank 
through the skin, three inches in length, and in a direction from 
above below, and from before backwards. I then cautiously 
divided the muscular, and, afterwards, the peritoneal coat beneath. 
Then laying aside the bistoury, I drew a part of the floating por- 
tion of the large intestines from the abdomen, and which would 
probably have incommoded me in the after-part of the operation, 
and, introducing my fingers into the incision, I seized the fork, 
which was free among the intestines as far the middle of it, and I 
cautiously drew it to the opening that I had made in the flank. 
